New Delhi: The dangerous tension between America and China is getting closer. To prevent the world from suffering the unimaginable consequences of such a war, ASEAN and its like-minded counterparts must stand by peace.
Six additional US delegations have visited the island since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made her controversial visit in early August, further adding to the fragile cross-strait dynamics.
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has cautioned that the United States and China risk "sleeping in conflict" if tensions on Taiwan do not ease.
The centrality principle of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is the main issue at stake, which is why Southeast Asians view the deterioration in US-China relations as alarming.
For example, the Aukus Alliance is perceived as undermining the resolve of Southeast Asians to control their own destiny. There is growing concern that the territorial disputes in the South China Sea could be used as a front in proxy wars between extra-territorial powers, turning ASEAN into a mere piece on someone else's geopolitical chessboard. could.
Taiwan must have experienced the same. The future of the island and Taipei's approach to talks with Beijing are likely to be determined by Washington from this point onwards.
In addition, Ukrainians are fighting NATO's campaign to engage Russia to save their nation. It is highly likely that decisions made in Washington and Moscow will determine when and if the war in Ukraine will end.
According to traditional Malay mythology, a cunning ruler needed to move with the agility of a mouse deer to evade large opponents. Southeast Asians require a similar level of strategy, and neutrality is needed to maintain ASEAN centrality.
ASEAN members cannot afford to take a hard line on one side to maintain self-government. Beijing is aware that ASEAN cooperation with the Americans is acceptable as long as it does not have an anti-Chinese agenda.
However, the rise of China has turned it into a potential threat to the United States that needs to be contained. Washington also says the world should take a firm stand in what the Biden administration is portraying as a struggle between democracy and autocracy.
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in a recent interview warned Washington against engaging in an "endless confrontation" with Beijing, warning that doing so could result in a global "catastrophe comparable to World War I". .
Fears are growing that two nuclear-armed superpowers could accidentally start a war that would have devastating effects on the entire world.
Southeast Asians cannot afford to become passive observers as this crisis develops, despite their reluctance to take sides. As a result, ASEAN should and has already decided to support coexistence over conflict and peace over war.
Indonesia took over the presidency of the G20 this year and will host the summit in Bali in November. This will be followed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Bangkok.
ASEAN has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to mediate in the tense rebalancing of world powers this year, which is even more significant than its rare moment on the international stage.
Indeed, President Joko Widodo has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Bali summit, despite opposition from the West. A meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping is also planned on the sidelines of the summit. But there are two other reasons why Indonesia's leadership is essential.
The Non-Aligned Movement, for starters, has an important constituency that the country is represented. Asian and African leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, gathered at the 1955 Bandung Conference, hosted by President Sukarno, to develop the idea of a "middle way" as a counterbalance to the polarizing Cold War. Can you
Widodo must revive the spirit of Bandung. The non-aligned bloc is more important than ever to serve as a safeguard against increasingly hostile superpower competition.
Second, Indonesia represents another important player in the US-China rivalry as the world's largest Muslim nation.
Relations between China and the Muslim world and the US are strained. Despite the underlying tension, Muslim nations have largely maintained cordial relations with the two and refrained from taking sides.
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